David Vernon (writer)
# David Vernon (writer)

David Vernon (born 1965 in Canberra, Australia) is an Australian writer and publisher. He has published several books relating to scepticism and childbirth.

## Biography

Vernon is the only son of Michael Vernon and Jeanette Vernon. He established two businesses while at University, Whiahwe Waiting Services that provided catering to diplomatic missions in Canberra, and MangoSoft, a software development house. He graduated from the Australian National University with qualifications in political science and economics in 1988. He subsequently obtained a Graduate Diploma in Law from University of Canberra and completed a Master of Environmental Science from Griffith University. He was editor of Argos, the Journal of the Canberra Skeptics from 1986 until 1991. He was assistant editor of the Australian Sinclair Gazette. He later became a contributor to the journal of the Australian Skeptics, The Skeptic. He writes occasional science articles for The Canberra Times and also writes short stories for adults and children.

He spent ten years working in the Australian Public Service, working in the Attorney-General's Department and the Environment Department before resigning in 2007. He was Chair of the Lyneham Primary School Board from 2008 to 2012. He was elected chair of the Gold Creek School in 2011 and Chair of Gungahlin College in 2015. He was elected member of the Board of the ACT Writers Centre in 2012 and in 2013 was elected Deputy Chair. . In 2014 he was elected Chair of the Centre.

He co-edited the book Skeptical – A handbook of pseudoscience and the paranormal in 1989 with Donald Laycock, Colin Groves and Simon Brown. In 2005 he released Having a Great Birth in Australia, which examined the culture of childbirth and pregnancy in Australia. In 2006 his book Men at Birth which chronicles men's experience of birth, was published. On 31 May 2007, With Women was released. He is currently working on The Hunt for Marasmus and a book about perinatal depression called Australians Talk – surviving perinatal depression.

On 13 December 2007 his book Men at Birth was awarded Best Non-Fiction Book for 2007 in the 2007 ACT Writing and Publishing Awards

He is married to Barbara Vernon with two children.

